Enclosed Container for Fish Scaling and Food Preparation

ABSTRACT

A self-contained food cleaning and preparation device is provided. The device is a fully enclosed transparent container having a flat bottom and a geometrically domed lid that secures to the bottom via a pair of latches disposed on the side of the lid or bottom. Two armholes covered by a transparent film are disposed on one or more sides of the lid. The film may be perforated for easy opening, or may be solid with cutting indicia disposed thereon. Arms are inserted into the holes through the film to access the interior surface of the container bottom, which is a food preparation surface. Fish may be cleaned on the interior surface without making a mess on an underlying counter.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/644,713 filed on May 9, 2012, entitled “Fish Scale House.” The patentapplication identified above is incorporated here by reference in itsentirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a food preparation container. Morespecifically, the invention is a transparent box having an interior foodpreparation surface. The preparation surface is accessible via two armholes in one or more sides of the box. Thin plastic covers the holes andacts as a splash guard once the user's arms are inserted into thearmholes. Cooks, fishers, and anyone who regularly prepares messy fooditems will appreciate the portable self-contained food preparationsurface.

Food preparation can be a messy task. Since humans first began cookingand preparing their food, they have faced the dilemma of cleaning meatsand vegetables without causing a mess. Food debris can lead to bacteriagrowth and more importantly to wasted foodstuffs. Meat is particularlydifficult to clean and prepare because it involves the removal of animalskin, organs, muscles, and the like. The difficulty presented with dailycooking and cleaning of meat gave rise to the butcher and fish merchanttrades during the early days of human civilization. These shop keepersclean, and cut up meat which can then be parceled out to customers.Historically, the preparation step might include removing particularparts of an animal and leaving the removal of unwanted parts to thecustomer, while in modern meat shops, all but the edible meat isremoved.

For hunters and fishermen who consume the bounty of their capture, thetask of cleaning and preparing meat at home can be difficult and messy.Fish cleaning in particular is a messy process that can result inscattered scales and debris. Oil from fish skin soaks in to any surfaceit lands on, leaving a residual smell of fish behind after a cleaning. Aself-contained meat preparation container is needed to provide userswith a place to clean and prepare fish and meat without spreading smellydebris.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The present invention is a self-contained portable fish preparationsurface ideally suited for the scaling of fish. A transparent containerhaving a bottom and a lid that removably secure together. The lid is adome and the bottom is a food preparation surface with latches disposedon the sides. Two or more armholes are provided, with attached clearcoverings that form a splash guard. Fish are placed on the foodpreparation surface along with scaling implements, and the lid is placedon the bottom and latched thereto. Arms are then placed in the armholes, where they can access the fish and scaling tools. Scales anddebris are trapped inside the container volume, making it disposal easy.The prior art discussed below are considered to be a list of devicesrelevant to the present disclosure.

A fish preparation board is disclosed by Hargrove, U.S. Pat. No.5,944,596. The device comprises a box having parallel slits along a topsurface an indent in the general shape of a fish. A drawer slides intothe box from an open end, and provides a receiving volume beneath theslits for catching fish scales. A fish scaler is included having a smallsplatter hood to prevent scales from scattering during the fish cleaningprocess. Though Hargrove does disclose a box, it does not provide aninterior cleaning surface or arm holes that provide a user with accessto the interior surface. The only slash guard of Hargrove is attached tothe fish scaler, rather than integrated into the preparation surface andlid. The present invention provides an enclosed container that reducesthe scattering of scales in all directions, keeping them neatly confinedwithin the container interior volume for easy disposal.

Another fish scaling device is described in Bissell, Jr., U.S. Pat. No.4,726,095. A bucket having an interior lignin made of an abrasivegrating forms the base for the device. Removably secured to the bucketis a lid, having a piston protruding therethrough. The top end of thepiston has a handle, while the bottom end has a pummel exteriorly linedin the same abrasive grating as the bucket walls. Fish are placed withinthe bucket interior, and the lid is secured in place. The piston is thenmanually operated to drive the pummel, mashing and abrading fish againstthe grating surfaces. Scales are trapped between the grating and bucketas they are removed. Unlike the present invention, Bissell does notprovide the user access to the fish during the cleaning process and doesnot allow for careful cleaning and filleting of a fish.

Barron, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0048889 teaches anaquarium tank having a sloped bottom with a drain at the lower apex.Fish and water are placed in the tank for scaling, preventing scales anddebris from scattering during cutting. After the fish is cleaned, wateris drained from the tank. Scales are prevented from entering the drainby a removable filter that can be lifted out for disposal of itscontents. Though the Barron device discloses a container in which a usercan clean a fish with his or her hands, it does not contemplate a fullvolume covering. The container of the present invention fully enclosesthe work area and provides access only through the arm holes.

These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. They do notprovide a fully enclosed food preparation environment. Nor do theydisclose a plurality of arm holes providing access through the containerto an interior food preparation surface. The present invention is afully closed container for preparing messy food items to preventscattering of debris. It substantially diverges in design elements fromthe prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in theart for an improvement to existing portable fish preparation devices. Inthis regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types offish preparation now present in the prior art, the present inventionprovides a new self-contained environment wherein the same can beutilized for providing convenience for the user when cleaning fish andpreparing food.

The present invention is a fully enclosed portable fish preparationenvironment. A flat smooth bottom and a geometrically domed, transparentlid form the body of the container environment. Latches are disposed ontwo or more sides of the bottom or lid, for securing the two componentstogether during food preparation. The bottom has a smooth, levelinterior surface that may be used as a cutting board or merely forplacement of food items such as fish, during preparation.

Two arm holes are disposed on one or more sides of the container lid.These arm holes extend through the lid wall, providing access to thefood preparation surface of the bottom. Because these arm holes presenta break in the enclosure boundaries, a transparent film is securedaround the perimeter of the arm holes and clings to a user's insertedarms. In use this film forms a splash guard, reducing the back spray ofliquids, scales, and debris. In this way, the container presents amobile food preparation environment that is used to reduce mess and timeconsuming clean up.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved fish preparation device that has all of the advantages of theprior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a fullyenclosed food preparation environment that prevents food debris such asfish scales and oil from scattering during cleaning and preparation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a food preparationdevice that has a film splash guard to protect a user's arms and torsoduring use.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portablefood preparation environment that can be easily used on boats, truckbeds, garage benches, and the like.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portablefood preparation environment that acts as a sterile barrier between rawfoods and the outside environment.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will beparticularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and mannerin which it may be made and used may be better understood after a reviewof the following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the assembled fish preparation container.The lid is secured onto the bottom creating a fully enclosed environmentfor preparing food.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the fish preparation container in anattached state with the lid resting on one side.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the film covered arm holes of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-section view of the fully enclosed fish preparationenvironment in an assembled state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like referencenumerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similarelements of the portable fish preparation container. For the purposes ofpresenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, thepreferred embodiment will be discussed as used for cleaning fish, meatsand other foodstuffs. The figures are intended for representativepurposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in anyrespect.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a side view of the fishpreparation device in an assembled and ready for use state. Atransparent lid 110 having a rectangular convex shape is removablysecured to a flat bottom 120. This lid can be completely removed fromthe bottom and used as a carrying container for the lid, foodpreparation devices, and the like. Two arm homes 130 extend through oneside of the lid. A thin transparent film 140 is stretched over thearmhole openings and has a targeting indicia 141 marked thereon. In use,the user will cut the transparent film along the indicia lines to gainaccess to the container interior. The transparent film clings to auser's inserted arms, acting as a splash guard that prevents food debrisfrom being ejected through the arm holes.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a view of the fish preparationdevice in an open state. The lid 110 is unattached from the bottom 120and lies on its side with the interior volume exposed. This lid has aconvex shape that may be a rounded, rectangular, square, or the like. Itmay have a handle disposed on the top surface or a side wall, tofacilitate easy carrying. A transparent material is used in theconstruction of the lid. Users must have a high degree of visibility inorder to safely manipulate knives and other cooking implements withinthe device.

Latches 150 disposed on the side of the lid 110 are adapted to engagewith the bottom 120, creating an assembled state. In a simpleembodiment, the latches may be of the snap form, having a lateralchannel approximately the height of the container bottom. The latch ispivotably attached to the container lid along a lateral axis. The latchcan be rotated up or down and the channel snapped into place along thebottom perimeter to connect the two components. Other types of latchesmay also be used, such as vice clamps, button release latches, sliderelease latches, and the like. The latches may double as lifting handlesby indenting the lid portions above the latches during construction.Such indentations provide a space for the user's hands to rest whileholding onto the latches.

The bottom 120 of the container has an upper and lower surface. In thefigure, fish cleaning tools 161, 160 are disposed on the upper surface,ready for use. The upper surface is smooth and flat to facilitate evencutting and chopping of fish and other foods. On the underside of thecontainer bottom is a coating of high friction material. The coating canbe a thin layer of rubber, plastic, or any other semi-tacky substancethat will reduce slippage while the container is in use. In oneembodiment the bottom is a cutting board made of a silicone, plastic, orpoly material. Use of a cutting board will reduce damage to knives usedon the upper surface. In another embodiment the bottom is a thinflexible board such as a thick silicone cutting mat. In still anotherembodiment the bottom may be a smooth plastic material rather than acutting board or mat.

Turning now to FIG. 3 there is shown a close-up view of the armholes ofthe container. The armholes 130 are disposed along a sidewall of thecontainer lid 110, and are circular in shape. Though a circular shape isideal because it closely mirrors the natural shape of a human arm, othergeometrical cross-sections are also contemplated. A thin layer oftransparent film 140 covers the armhole openings and may be secured tothe interior surface of the sidewall. A target shape, such as across-hair configuration, is formed from perforation lines 142. Toinsert their arms into the armholes, users poke the perforation lines,tearing the film, and then slides their hands and arms into thecontainer's interior volume. Perforations are used as an alternative tothe targeting indicia shown in FIG. 1 to make arm insertion easy withoutthe use of a knife.

Armholes may be disposed along one or several sides of the containerlid. The precise configuration of holes will depend on the intended useof the device. Specifically, it may be desirable to have a set of armhomes on opposing sides of the device to permit rotation of thecontainer, or to allow multiple persons to work within the containervolume at one time.

Turning finally to FIG. 4, there is shown a cross-section view of thepreparation container. The lid 110 is secured to the bottom 120 via apair of latches 150. Though the latches are depicted in the figure aspivotably attaching to the container lid, they may also attach to thebottom and removably secure to the lid.

In use an individual places the lid bottom on a support surface, withthe upper surface facing upward. A fish and fish cleaning implements arethen placed on the upper surface. Next, the container lid is placed onthe bottom and the latches are secured into place, joining the top andbottom and creating an isolated interior volume. The user then slicesthe transparent film covering the armholes. Slicing is done along thetarget indicia markings. Then, the user's arms are inserted through thecuts in the transparent film until they gain access to the items lyingon the container bottom. The user can then scale the and clean the fish,without worry that the debris will scatter about the surrounding area.Because the user is able to see through the transparent lid, risk ofinjury due to obstructed vision is reduced. After the user is donecleaning the fish, the latches are unfastened and the lid is removed.The fish is lifted off the bottom and placed in a cooler. Scales anddebris are easily wiped off the bottom upper surface into the water,grass, or onto the ground. The lid and cleaning tools can be placed intothe inverted container lid to prevent scales from getting on other itemswhile in transit.

The present invention is a portable fish and food preparation chamberthat provides an isolated interior volume. This interior volume capturesdebris generated during food preparation and thus reduces the scattingof bacteria carrying debris in a food preparation area. Because theinvention is lightweight and doubles as a carrying container, it ishighly portable. It can be used on boats, truck tailgates, and otherplaces where food preparation would normally be difficult or unsanitary.The present o container can easily be washed and sterilized prior touse, and therefore provides a portable, sterile, environment forpreparing fish and other foods.

It is submitted that the instant invention has been shown and describedin what is considered to be the most practical and preferredembodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be madewithin the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications willoccur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the abovedescription then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensionalrelationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations insize, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assemblyand use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in theart, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in thedrawings and described in the specification are intended to beencompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theinvention.

I claim:
 1. A portable, fully enclosed fish preparation container,comprising: a transparent, convex lid having at least one wallterminating at a lower edge, and having an interior and exteriorsurface; a bottom having a flat, smooth upper surface and a undersidesurface; a pair of latches adapted to removably secure said bottom tosaid lid, thereby forming an isolated interior volume; a plurality ofarm holes extending through said at least one wall of said lid andproviding access to said isolated interior volume; transparent filmextending over said arm holes and secured to said interior surface ofsaid lid.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said transparent film hastargeting indicia marked thereon.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein saidtransparent film is perforated in the shape of a target.
 4. The deviceof claim 1, further comprising a handle.
 5. The device of claim 1,wherein said bottom is a cutting board.
 6. The device of claim 1,wherein said bottom underside surface coated in a high tactile material.7. The device of claim 1, wherein said latches are pivotably attached tosaid lid.